A Ninja's Performance
by MayuneSpirit
Summary: Sakura and Ino go on a mission to the Land of the Waves as medics, while Team Hebi must pass through on their way to Konoha. Rated T for language, possible violence. Chapter two on its way now. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

"You were so cool, Sasuke-Kun!" she spoke, a smile placed on her lips as usual.

"**Remember how you showed me what it means to be alone?!"**

"Sasuke-Kun, thank you for saving me…" turning to face him, she closed her eyes in a smile as she thanked him, unaware of whom it was who really saved her. Who it was who was able to save her…

"**I've…I have family, and friends…but Sasuke, if I lose you, I…I'll be…I will be very lonely."**

"Please…stop…" hugging him from behind, tears streaming down her face that was buried into the back of his shirt, she begged in fear for him to return to her.

"**I'm so in love with you I can't even stand it! Sasuke-Kun!" **

Her smiling face began to fade into the single light in the midst of the darkness, as she waved in hope for him to follow.

"**Stay with me, and I'll never let you regret it! We'll have fun every day and…and you'll be happy! I'll make sure of it!" **

Her smile faded, along with the images of her happiness. She was left broken, falling away from the darkness that broke her.

"**I'll do anything for you Sasuke! Just please…please, please don't go!"**

Sasuke woke up with a jolt, sitting up in bed with his arm reached out as far as it could go. His eyes were wide as he huffed for air. Slowly, he pulled his hand back, resting a side of his face into his palm. The rest of Team Hawk slept soundly around the dimming fire. He observed each one of them as feelings of regret tugged at his conscience. He sighed, lying back down on the very uncomfortable mat he had grown accustom to as a ninja. He stared into the fire, the images of his dream flowing through his mind. He clenched his fist;

"Damn it..!" he hissed through his teeth, as he closed his eyes, trying to force himself into a dreamless sleep.

- - - - - -

Sakura walked through the familiar door leading into the Hokage's office. Meeting the gaze of her friend, Ino, she opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Tsunade, catching both her and Ino's full attention.

"Sakura, Ino, it seems the Land of the Waves fell under attack not long ago. They were able to work their way through it, but have been left with many injured. I would like to send the two of you there to help them get things back in order, and see what you can do for the ones who were hurt. You'll need to leave by tomorrow, as early as possible."

"Ye--…" Sakura's voice trailed off, she found herself unable to continue. The memories forced their way into her mind. Team 7's first official mission…

"Eh, yes, Tsunade-Sama." Ino bowed, eyeing Sakura suspiciously through the corner of her eye.

Tsunade dismissed Ino, needing to speak to Sakura. Considering what Kakashi had told her of the events that had happened there, she knew Sakura would need a bit of a push if she was to go through with the mission with her full efforts. Sighing, Tsunade placed her glass of tea—that held a suspicious hint of alcohol in its scent—on her desk before speaking;

"…Sakura…" Sakura's head lifted up enough for her to make eye contact, "I talked to Kakashi, and I know what this means for you. Excluding your exceeding medical ability, that's part of my reasoning for sending you."

"What…I'm sorry, Tsunade-Sama, but I don't really understand…" Sakura's voice was involuntarily shaky as she spoke.

"Sakura, look at you. Sasuke has been gone for three years now." The words caused a terrible pain in the pit of Sakura's stomach, she winced slightly, unnoticeable to Tsunade as she continued, and "I know you'll never stop searching for him, neither will Naruto, but you need to realize how his memory is affecting your performance as a ninja." Tsunade sighed, "I'm sorry, but I need to you go on this mission…you're dismissed." She ended the conversation, to Sakura's relief.

"Yes…thank you, Tsunade-Sama." Sakura bowed before walking out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. Her hand hesitated on the doorknob; her eyes were blank as she stared at the cracks in the floor.

_'Performance as a ninja, huh…?' _The words echoed through Sakura's head as her hand finally let go, and she continued on her way home.

- - - - -

"Sasuke…!" Sasuke flinched at the way the girl said his name. It was far too familiar, and reminded him too much of his past. Karin ran to catch up with him as he tended to walk faster than the rest of the group. She placed a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch away from the touch. Karin pouted at him for a moment, before giving up and continuing what she had been doing.

"Why are we taking this route to Konoha? Won't it take longer than it needs to?" She spoke faster than she really needed to; something Sasuke took note as one of her many annoying factors. She pouted again, but again soon gave up. Sasuke never really paid attention to her unless he needed to; he kept his gaze on the path. He wasn't planning on answering her, after finally accepting that, she took her gaze off of him, focusing on checking for any nearby chakras.

Soon enough, Suigetsu and Jugo caught up to them, talking amongst themselves. Sasuke had tuned them out to the point of their voices being mere echoes. Letting his eyes wander to the sky, he lost focus, allowing his dream to come into his mind.

_'Please, please don't go!' _His eyes fell back down to the ground, still keeping the emotion hidden. His memory of that night was so vivid, how he felt at every moment. He remembered how the sound of her choking back tears made his stomach turn. He hated when she cried for him. Turning around to see her face was one of the hardest things he had ever done, let alone keep his composure. She looked so torn, as the tears continued to fall. Being so close to her, thanking her was all he could do. What else could he have said? He had little hope of returning alive at the time, the best thing he could have done for her, was let her live her life in the village and move on from him. She would find someone knew to love—

"Sasuke?" Karin's voice rang through his silence, pulling him back into reality. "Sasuke, what's wrong? Why'd you stop?"

Sasuke looked around; he had stopped in the middle of the path. Jugo was at his side looking confused, as Suigetsu looked back at him from where he stood a few feet ahead.

"Uh, come on Sasuke. You said yourself we have to get to Konoha as soon as possible!" Suigetsu called out, his toothy grin creeping up on his lips. Sasuke nodded, trying once again to erase the memory. Team Hawk continued on, Suigetsu testing Karin's anger as usual as Jugo tried to calm her down; Sasuke walked ahead, his eyes focusing on every rock he passed, staying occupied.

- - - - -

"Sakura!" Sakura caught Ino's eyes as she walked up to the Village gate. The sun was barely risen, the sky still dark. Her face gave away her questioning at Ino's obviously annoyed expression.

Ino sighed, shaking her head, "this is very out of character for you, Sakura. You're late!" She made her voice stern as she waved a finger at Sakura.

"Oh…sorry; I couldn't sleep very well last night…" Sakura's head tilted just slightly to the side as she looked away in thought, aggravating Ino even more.

"Ugh! Fine, let's just get going! I want to make good time." Ino spoke as she turned around, picking her pace up into a run. Smiling, Sakura waved goodbye to the gatekeepers, then quickly caught up with Ino. As they flew easily through the trees, undetected, Sakura's mind began to wander, to things she should have probably kept out of her memory;

_"This is pretty easy!" Sakura sat up on a high branch. Sticking her tongue out, she taunted her teammates. _

_ "Sakura-Chan!" Naruto called out, obviously impressed by her. He and Sasuke had barely gotten up five feet. A wave of disappointment hit her, as Sasuke looked down, refusing to look back. _

A smile formed on Sakura's lips as she remembered. She thought he just didn't care, wasn't impressed. But, even Sakura had times where she surpassed Sasuke, making him jealous. Making him angry; she made him feel closer and closer to being weak as well as Naruto, although her part may not have been as big. Her smile was not one of pride; it was simply the feeling of warmth she felt at the time. Laughing down at them, so happy she was able to show off in front of him. But what she hadn't realized was that she was hurting him.

_ "Sakura…your arm's heavy…" Sakura looked up, tears still flowing from her eyes. She felt his heart beat pick up again, the warmth beginning to come back to his body. Her stomach sank, her eyes wide with shock, as she realized what she had almost lost. What she thought she had lost. She never wanted to feel that way again…_

_ "Sasuke-Kun! Sasuke-Kun, Sasuke-Kun!" without thinking, she hugged him, her mind had gone blank. She cried aloud into the bridge of his neck. He lied there, frozen as she leaned against his wounds, crying his name in relief. _

_ "Sakura…that hurts…" he mumbled, looking at her. Sakura couldn't help smiling, she had never felt so happy. He was still with her, but at that moment, she realized how much she depended on him to be there. At that time, she decided to take her title as a ninja more seriously, just like he did. _

"Sakura!" Ino's voice pulled Sakura back into the present. She looked up as the wind brushed past her face. Ino wasn't there. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her arm as she fell into the side of the tree abruptly hitting her head on the bark. She looked up to yell, but was stopped with Ino's hand over her mouth. Glaring, she gestured down at the ground. Sakura followed with her eyes, catching a glimpse of red hair flowing behind a girl with the wind. She wore black rimmed glasses, short shorts and a revealing shirt that cut up to the middle of her back, letting out on each side. She glimpsed around, seeming to be in search of something. Sakura and Ino had their chakras suppressed, frozen where they stood. Her face had a natural glare to it, which grew harder as she seemed to become more frustrated. She turned, running back. Ino relaxed, stepping out of their hiding spot, but Sakura gripped her shoulder, shaking her head. They both looked in the direction the girl had run; she had three accompanying her in the distance.

"Sasuke! I don't sense any strong trails of chakra, just small hints, but their locations are kind of muffled. What should we do?" the girl called out, Ino let out a small gasp, looking at Sakura.

Sakura was staring at the one she called out to, hoping for the names to be the only similarity. She searched him over, same clothing, hair, same composure as far as she could tell from where she stood. It was him. Her breaths became quick, difficult to take in. She clasped her hand to her collar bone, she couldn't think, couldn't act. Her control over her chakra began to waver as she fell against the trunk of the tree. Ino began coaching her through her panic attack, trying to calm her down.

"Wait, I think the chakra is getting closer…? It seems to be becoming stronger in waves…" she struggled to explain when Sasuke's eyes shot up to where they hid.

'Shit…!' Ino glared back at him from behind the leaves, quickly, she grabbed Sakura and went to the left, running through the trees as fast as she could with Sakura's arm slung over her shoulder.

"Um…" Karin looked around confused.

"Jeez, what is it, woman?" Suigetsu asked her, annoyed.

"Shut up!" Karin glared, unsure of her pathetic comeback, "the chakra's are fading. Whoever it was ran away. They sure sucked at suppressing their chakra." She chuckled proudly.

"Hn…" Sasuke looked back dazedly, unsure of what he saw. But still, it didn't concern him at the moment. He walked further, glancing up at the trees as he passed.

Miles away, Sakura fell to the ground, huffing for air, the attack passed; now allowing her to realize how horribly she had just messed up. He was right there. And she reacted in fear and disappointment. The way the girl had said his name, so familiar. The number of people, the way their chakra levels leveled out, they were a team. He had a new team. Sakura looked at her feet sprawled out in front of her. She wouldn't cry. Not in front of Ino, not now.

'_Performance as a ninja…'_ Tsunade's voice rang through Sakura's head.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura stepped off the boat and onto the dock. She looked back to Ino, who struggled getting off, swearing under her breath. Sakura laughed before looking back behind her to the improved village. It had changed a lot since she was last there.

"Welcome to the Land of the Waves" the man who steered their boat said smiling as he tipped his hat to them both. Sakura and Ino both waved politely as he went back to the other side of the river, disappearing into the mist.

"So…it doesn't look much like a battle took place…most of the houses and buildings are intact." Ino stated, looking around at the repaired village.

"Some of the best construction workers live here." Sakura answered simply with a smile, gaining a concerned look from Ino. She sighed, dismissing her worry as they made their way onto the streets.

- - - - -

"Man, why is this place so foggy? It's irritating!" Karin crossed her arms, speaking through her teeth.

"I think it's great! Nice change from our normal hide outs!" Suigetsu smiled from where he sat against a tree. They had camped out in the woods just past the city. None of them understood why, it was still early in the day. But Sasuke wanted to stay there. He wasn't fully sure himself, but he knew they needed supplies so he could easily use it as an excuse.

"Karin, go get what supplies we need." Sasuke said as Suigetsu began to laugh mockingly at her; "Suigetsu, go with her." His laughing stopped abruptly, making Karin laugh even harder. They walked off bickering at each other, making Jugo smile;

"They actually seem to be getting along a little bit better lately…" he watched his teammates walked away as Sasuke nodded slightly in agreement.

"So, is that really the reason we're staying here tonight?" Jugo got straight to the point, eyeing Sasuke for any sign of reaction, he got none.

"Yes, it is." Sasuke said, turning to face him, "although, I do want to see how this place has improved. I'm going to go for a walk. You're in charge until I return." Jugo nodded as Sasuke walked in a direction other than the city, Jugo watched in question until his silhouette faded into the trees.

Karin walked through the crowd alone; she left Suigetsu at the last store they stopped in. She knew Sasuke would be mad, but she couldn't stand his constant teasing! Her face was flustered from anger and embarrassment from the things he had said.

"Ah…!" She stumbled backwards, and stood still for a moment, finding a reaction. She looked up to see the face of a young girl with long blond hair. The girl stared at her in surprise; half of her face covered with a long strip of bangs.

"Oh…sorry…" Ino's voice trailed off as she looked at the girl's hair, she was the one they saw earlier. She jumped, realizing what that meant. Before Karin could yell at her she had run off, bowing to the people she had been helping, mumbling apologies to each of them. Karin stared at her with a look of disgust. All she would remember this girl by would be her terrible manners.

Ino ran through the streets towards the small home up at the corner. She grabbed the handle, pulling the sliding door open so hard it almost knocked off its hinges.

"Tazuna-Sempai, where is Sakura?!" Ino stood in the doorway, her had clenched around the frame. She searched the room, and saw no one but Tazuna.

"Um…she said she was going to visit a couple of old friends." Tazuna answered unnerved, it was his first day meeting this girl and she almost breaks his door.

_'First day meeting this girl and she almost breaks my door. Konoha sure is full of eccentrics…' _Tazuna laughed a bit at his comment, and opened his mouth to repeat out loud before Ino interrupted him;

"Did she say who, though? It's urgent!" Ino spoke fast, looking around outside as she waited for an answer.

"No, sorry…what's the problem?" Ino shook her head in response and ran out the door.

"Tch…" Tazuna went back to his structure planning as the door slammed back in place.

Sakura walked through the tall grass, searching her memory for the way to get to her destination. She continued further and further into the forest before she finally found an overgrown trail. She smiled, proud of herself as she followed the familiar path; she passed through many places that tugged at her memory; she just couldn't place an event to them. But then she finally came into a clearing with three very familiar trees. She traced the marks cut through the bark with her eyes, all the way to the tops of the trees. She smiled sadly as she grazed her hand over one of the cuts in the tree as she remembered their training together. It had come so easily to her that she didn't feel she needed to try as hard. In the end, she felt less accomplished even though their progress was the same. Sakura shook her head at her childish acts.

She turned her head, looked further down the path. Her destination was closer now, and she actually knew how to get there this time. She walked quicker, skipping each time with her left foot as she hummed a soft tune to herself. She needed this, the memories, feelings of happiness. She missed it all too much. She couldn't remember the last time she lived with no worries, able to laugh and smile without any doubts. It was like she was living in a dream, where her memories left a mark, a feeling of comfort in the atmosphere. She stepped into the clearing, feeling a sudden gust of wind; she closed her eyes in surprise. It whipped dead leaves and twigs in her direction, she felt scared. Like the memory had just disappeared. Opening her eyes, she lifted her head to see the painful sight in front of her.

- - - - -

"He went for a walk?" Karin asked abruptly, a bit frustrated. She was excited to see Sasuke, hoping to be praised for finding all the supplies on her own since Suigetsu was too busy flirting to do so.

"Yeah, he said I was in charge." Jugo stated simply.

"Wha—who does he think he is, acting like he's in charge all the time! I'm better suited as the leader anyway! That way I could drop the dead weight of this team." Karin shot a glare at Suigetsu.

"Oh, please. Quit the act, Karin. You love having Sasuke in charge." Suigetsu called back, irritated at being left behind on the streets.

"I—No I do not!" Karin yelled as a blush formed on her cheeks, "I'm going to go look for Sasuke and tell him to back down!" she yelled back, with obvious different intentions in mind.

"Yeah, yeah; just don't rape h—" a rock slapped the side of Suigetsu's face before he could finish, "What the… damn it woman!" A loud laugh came through the trees as Suigetsu cursed into the darkness. Jugo sat against a tree with a look of shock on his face as he observed the drops of blood left on the rock.

- - - - -

Sasuke walked calmly through the woods, his mind blank. He recognized many things, training grounds, where they had met Zabuza and Haku, but he tried to keep the memories away. He stopped, glancing towards the water that held the Great Naruto Bridge in the distance. He had seen it before with Team Hebi, and every time he couldn't help a smile. Sighing, he came to his senses, remembering his goal and why he broke their bonds; but, thinking of that made him realize, he hadn't done what he planned when he left her on that bench. He remembered carrying her to it, reluctant to put her down. When he did, he whipped a tear away that was only replaced by another. Her eyes were swollen, still crying even in her unconscious state. Shaking his head, he took her face into his hands, leaning towards her; with their foreheads pressed together, he took in a breath before letting go, and walking away.

_'Way to sever a bond…' _he thought to himself. Suddenly, a large gust of wind; he closed his eyes, staying in place as he waited for it to pass. Once it did, he heard a sound of someone passing through the trees. His head shot up, meeting familiar eyes.

"Sasuke…?" her voice came clear, sounding a bit confused.

"What is it, Karin?" his voice sounded hoarse, which irritated him. Making a note to leave as early as possible in the morning, he broke their eye contact. This place held too many memories for his own good.

"Um, I was just wondering if you'd come back to camp, unless…" an idea hit her as she walked closer to him as seductively as possible, "unless you want to stay here with me." She flashed a smile, pulling in closer to him.

Sasuke pulled back, "go back to camp, Karin. I'll be there before nightfall." He walked away immediately, using every bit of his strength not to yell. With obvious disappointment, Karin turned to walk back to the rest of her team.

- - - - -

Sakura stepped forward with a bitter smile on her face. Haku and Zabuza's graves stood under overgrown grass and weeds. They looked so forgotten, making Sakura's heart sink. Pulling out a kunai, she began cutting away the unwanted plants. Soon, the crooked crosses came into view, one with a familiar piece of orange cloth around it. She brushed her hair back behind her ears with a smile that quickly faded when she heard footsteps in the woods.


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura whipped around, her gasp on her kunai tightening out of instinct. She felt her heartbeat pick up in pace, for no known reason, whoever was coming put Sakura into a state of fear. Thinking logically, she knew it probably wasn't someone coming in on attack, why would they let her hear them? Whoever it was probably didn't even know she was there, but still, she couldn't help feeling the way she did. She brought her kunai up in front of her, ready to attack if needed.

The bushes to her right moved, catching her attention as she turned to see the figure making their way through them. Her heart's beating stopped for just one second as she froze in a familiar state of shock.

_Sasuke-Kun…!_

He came through the leaves, lifting his eyes to see hers. She saw no emotion from him, just like before at their time of reunion. She shook her head, bringing herself back into the moment presenting itself to her. Sliding her foot back, raising the kunai back in front of her, she brought herself into a stance of defense.

He cocked his head slightly, his onyx eyes fixed on her. There was nothing but silence between the two. His first instinct was to continue walking, make her feel like he was never even there, but he couldn't bring himself to take that step. His eyes drifted to her hand holding the kunai, her fingers going white from how hard she grasped it.

_She's shaking…_ He thought to himself, unconsciously taking a step towards her. She backed away, still in the same stance. Her reaction tugged on his emotions; Sakura, the one girl he let in, the one who would have done anything to protect him, to be near him, is now standing in fear in front of him.

"How…" he forced himself to talk, remembering his goal and what needed to be done to achieve it, "…pathetic." The last word slipped through his lips like poison as he watched her emerald eyes grow wide, as she seemed to slip back into her state of shock.

_His voice…_ She laughed to herself, she really was pathetic wasn't she?

"Do you really think you should laugh at a time like that, Sakura?" Both of them lingered on the way her name sounded when he said it, "I could kill you easily right you, you do know that."

Sakura glared at him, letting the kunai drop to the ground near her feat, she felt like she did the night he left; back then she could have sworn that if it were to have a physical effect, she would have broken into dozens of pieces.

"Would you really do that, though…? Sasuke-Kun…" she said his name solely for her own benefit; she wanted to know that she could say it while she looked him in the eyes, even now.

His glare seemed to waver, as he contemplated his answer. His mouth slipped open, as he began to speak while Sakura waited in suspense;

"Sakura!" Ino's voice trailed through the woods, causing them to break eye contact.

Sakura looked back at him at the same time he looked back at her. Ino's footsteps through the leaves seemed to echo into silence, the only sound Sakura could hear was her own breathing as she looked at him for all she knew would be the last time.

Then, her heart sank, as Sasuke looked away, then back at her as a soft smile caught his lips. She felt tears begin to form as he walked past her, as everything came back to her, Ino's footsteps running back into her mind as the sleeve of his shirt brushed her bare arm as he walked back into the shadows, back out of her sight.

"S-Sasuke-Kun!" She turned around, only to meet the sight of the forest, empty of any living beings.

Ino pushed through the leaves into the clearing, huffing for air as she stared at Sakura, who, slowly, fell to her knees in the dirt and turned her head to look at Ino with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Ino…" her voice cracked as she began to cry, Ino running to her aid.

"Ah! Hello, Sasuke. Good to see you're back, now maybe Karin will stop being such a bitch!" Suigetsu called out cheerfully as Karin slapped him across the face.

Sasuke just walked past them, earning questioning looks from Jugo.

"Sasuke how was your walk…?" Jugo asked, most likely only to test his theories on Sasuke's state of mind.

"Hn…" Sasuke made his way to the mat set up for him across the way from Jugo, ignoring all else said to the point where he didn't even know _what _they said. He just lay there, his eyes shut but not asleep. All he could see, all he could hear was her face as she asked whether or not he could _kill _her. He gritted his teeth in frustration.

_Of course I can. What use is her life to me? _His thoughts ran bitterly through his mind, but were always demolished at the memory of the tears that filled her eyes. He made her cry again. He seemed to be prone to doing that.

Tazuna watched in confusion as Ino brought Sakura to her room. Sakura's eyes were swollen, like she had been crying for hours.

- - -

"Here, Sakura." Ino brought Sakura over to her bed, ignoring her comments about being able to get there herself.

"Thanks." Sakura said slightly bitter. Ino had walked her through the village like she had just come out of some huge battle.

"Oh, quit being so touchy." Ino lectured, running her hand through the strip of bang covering her right eye. Her expression quickly softened as she noticed how red Sakura's eyes were.

"So…" she looked down, "you saw Sasuke-Kun? What happened?" Looking back up, she noticed Sakura's glare had become harder as she stared out the window.

"Nothing; he just kept walking. And I, as stupid as I am, just watched in shock." She smiled darkly, "I really am a bad ninja. I'm only good for missions that don't include battle—"

"Stop talking like that Sakura!" Ino's voice wavered in volume as she stood to her feet, "just…" All of her anger once again dissipated at the sight of Sakura. She looked so torn, even more so that when Ino first met her, crying her eyes out as a little girl. Sakura simply looked at her, her expression blank. She looked like an empty shell.

"That's not what really happened." Ino stated sternly, looking around at the room.

"What do you me—" Sakura began but was interrupted once more.

"Just…" Ino snapped, then swallowed her temper, "tell me when you're ready, 'kay?" She gave Sakura a smile before leaving the room, leaving Sakura alone in the dark.

_Ino…_ Sakura looked at where the door would have been if she could see through all the darkness, but she was left all by herself with her own fears.

'_I could kill you easily, you do know that._' A tear slipped past Sakura's guard as she fell into a light sleep, dreaming of nothing but leaves blowing through the windless air. Sakura stood frozen above the sky, looking down on her past, Team 7 walking happily through the village gates, setting out on another mission. Quickly, everything began to crack, like glass of a photo. Everything was engulfed in black except Sakura, who was left to fall for eternity in her own soul.


	4. Chapter 4

Everything was completely silent. All of Sakura's screams had finally faded as she seemed to fall into a calm sleep. Each time Ino had gone in worry to wake her up from her nightmares, all she would do was smile at her before slipping back into sleep. Something about her smile was so horrifying to Ino. It was so dark, so broken. Her mind wandered, to the very day Naruto had left with the others to find Sasuke for the first time…

///

_It was a beautiful day, too pretty to be one of sorrow. But just as Ino was walking along the village rode after working her days worth in the flower shop, she was stopped by the site of Sakura standing with her head held low in front of the single bench that sat aligned with the wall. She watched for just a few moments, her heart seeming to drop lower. _

_ "Sakura," She called, putting on a cheerful composure as she walked to stand with her friend. _

_ As expected, she didn't receive an answer. Sakura merely stood with her hair falling over her eyes, as she had her hand placed on the arm of the bench, caressing the stone with her thumb absentmindedly._

_ They stood side by side in silence for what seemed like hours to Ino. She couldn't avert her eyes from her friend, for once unable to cheer her up. _

_ "Hey…Ino…?" Sakura's voice came out hoarse, like it was the first time she had ever spoken. _

_ "Ah," Ino's voice caught in her throat for a second, caught by surprise, "yeah?" She smiled again. _

_ "Do you…love Sasuke-Kun?" Sakura shifted her gaze to Ino, still keeping her head turned away. She didn't sound critical, and the question wasn't insinuated in a rivalry way. She honestly just wanted to know if she was alone, or if her feelings were simply selfish and typical. At least, that's what Ino got out of it, but when it came to Sakura—her judge of character was pretty good. _

_ Ino sighed, grasping her hand within her other, and looked down at the bench; "no…I don't. I'd like to think I do, really, but I couldn't possibly. I know hardly anything about the guy…" she stopped, realizing she was rambling. She got nervous with Sakura like that, seeming so empty. _

_ "You do, though, Sakura." She patted Sakura's shoulder, grinning. "I can tell you…honestly love him. And, I'm happy you do. He should be with someone who can love him truly….don't worry, Naruto will bring him back. Hate to admit it, but that little pest is pretty strong. And, I'm sure Sasuke will beg for your forgiveness! He hates seeing you cry, trust me." She smiled wide, squeezing her shoulder quickly before letting go. _

_ Sakura's eyes filled with tears that never fell as she finally turned to face Ino, smiling as best she could at her friend. _

///

Ino sighed, leaning against the wooden wall. The entire village seemed to be asleep, the sun barely raised as it left a soft blue hue in the outside sky.

Sasuke rose quietly from where he had been asleep, careful not to wake anyone up. He placed his sword in the large rope tied around his waist before making his way into the forest. Not even the birds dared to break the silence the world seemed to hold at that very moment as he walked through the leaves with no expression to betray his thoughts.

Thoughts of his old team;

Thoughts of her;

Her tear brimmed eyes;

His threat;

The way he always seemed to feel when he saw her;

But of course, he had no time for feelings like that, let alone thoughts. He caught site of the small town as his gaze hardened.

He knew exactly where to find her.

* * *

_ Sakura stood, frozen where she stood. She was in the exact time, exact place, that Sasuke had left her. He was there, and so was her past self. He stood turned away from her the entire time, as she pleaded with all her heart for him to stay. _

_ 'Don't you leave me! One more step and I'll scream-' Like he had done before, he disappeared before her eyes, only to reappear behind her. For a split second, she thought she had lost him then and there, but he was with her, silent for only a few moments. Realization hit Sakura as she watched the memory in horror; _

_ 'Sakura…' his voice played through her mind, just as it had then. _

_ "Turn around!" She screamed, her voice seemed to echo through the memory. _

_ 'Thank you…' she was speechless once more, in memory and in present. Just as he tapped her nerve, the entire world went black. _

_ But the dream, still far from over; she knew that, of course. This wasn't the first time she had it, over time she grew conscious of her dreaming as she saw herself falling through memories, watching the laughter and heartbreak consume her very soul. Seeing all the things she did wrong, all the times she reacted in the worse kind of way. _

_ Abruptly, she landed in a meadow of pale white flowers, moving as if there had been a gust of strong wind. She didn't remember this part of the dream. _

_ She saw herself, standing over something that tainted the flowers red. _

_ She walked hesitantly over to where her other self stood. Her eyes grew wide in horror at her own dark smile as she stood in two places over the mangled bodies of Team 7. _

_ All four of them. _

_ Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and herself; each of them locked in the memory of their happy days. _

Gripping her blankets tight, Sakura began to scream, surely awakening anyone within range of her piercing cries of sorrow as she sobbed into the blanket, yelling mumbled threats against herself at the sight of her dead happiness. She cried louder, undisturbed by anything as her pillow grew wet from her tears.

Softly, a cold hand brushed her cheek, immediately pulling her from her night terror as she shot upward, smacking the hand away from her out of soul reaction. She gasped for air, pulling the blanket up to her chest as she cried, still in the midst of a dream. She turned to the side of her bed, expecting to see Ino but saw nothing but the empty room.

Still huffing for air, she looked around, confused and afraid. Finally coming a bit to her senses, she sensed someone on her other side. She turned her head, coming face to face with the cause of her nightmares.

It all hit her suddenly, as she managed to catch her breath. Her throat hurt, and her stomach was sore from how hard she had gripped it with the other hand.

She tried to take in each feature of his face, noticing most his onyx eyes only a few inches away from her emerald green eyes. She couldn't speak; she knew that before even trying, as they stared at each other.

At that very moment, there was one thing that caught her even further off guard than his very presence.

And that was the obvious look of concern spread across his features as he searched her eyes for a reason behind everything.

He raised his hand, touching her jaw bone softly, before quickly pulling back; his expression gone back to his usual emotionless composure.

"Sakura" he spoke firmly, pulling back to give distance between the two of them, "I need you to stay in the Land of the Waves for a while. If you refuse, I will have no problems with killing you and anyone who came with you."

Sakura's heart beat picked up once more at his request, as her confusion rose. Another crack would have appeared if all this really did show on her physically, as the signs of the old Sasuke resided back into the emotionless shell that held himself so proudly before her.

"Stay…?" Her voice was raspy as she cleared it subconsciously, "why would I…stay here longer than I have to…?" She waited for him to return her gaze, but he kept his eyes fixed somewhere off in the distance.


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura sat quietly, admiring just about everything in the room from the blank wall to the small box placed on top of the plain wooden dresser. With nothing really to keep her attention, the silence drawn out between the broken teammates grew more and more tense. Her mind wandered to Naruto, wondering what he would have done in the situation, but that only made her feel even more worthless.

_'Well, he certainly wouldn't sit there like an idiot…' _She grimaced, lowering her head further. Her hearing seemed to grow tune to the situation, catching the sounds of Sasuke's light, timid breaths. She looked up at him, finally. He kept his gaze off in the distance, seeming to act as if she wasn't even there.

She gulped, "why would I stay here? Ino and I are meant to leave this afternoon." She tried to make her voice stern, successfully keeping it from wavering. She wanted to smile proudly, but doing that would probably make Sasuke question her sanity.

"…because…" his voice was louder, even more stern than hers, making all pride disappear, "I can't have you getting in the way." He smirked to himself, turning to look at her again so quickly she almost jumped.

"Getting in the way?" She mimicked with a scowl, "so you're on your way to Konoha with your new team?" She questioned, feeling a small hole in her stomach begin to form.

He looked surprised for a moment, "team? How do you know…" his voice trailed off, as he looked away.

_'Damn it, I can't think straight.' _He thought to himself, glaring hard at the ground.

"Ino and I almost ran into you, you're travelling with three others, right? I didn't get a good look at the other two, but one is a girl with red hair and glasses." Sakura began gaining some of her confidence back, seeing even Sasuke could lose his 'cool'.

Sasuke turned his glare to her, demolishing her confidence in an instant. The silence grew again, as they stared at each other for what seemed like eternity.

"Just…stay here for a while. I have a plan, and I can't have you getting in my way." He turned to leave the way he came in.

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, _'say something! Don't let him leave!' _she watched in silence as he grasped the window seal, "…no…" she mumbled.

Time passed, she wondered if he had even heard her when he turned to look at her, his cold emotionless expression had once again taken over his features.

"…What?" He hissed, tightening his grip on the window seal, causing the wood to splinter.

"I'm not staying here!" Sakura stood up, clenching her fists. The pale green night gown she wore fluttered around her knees as she grasped her hand around his wrist.

She stared at him, wanting to say something, needing to say something, but couldn't find the words. He looked back at her, keeping his arm inhumanly still, his glare wavering slightly.

Sakura sighed, lowering her head to let her hair fall past her face, covering her eyes. He kept his gaze on her, seeming unable to move as the two of them stood together by the morning light that dared to escape through the window.

"Sakura…" he whispered, his features softening into an emotion she couldn't decipher as she looked back up to meet his gaze. She stared at him, her face only inches from him, trying to keep her composure. He kept his gaze on her for a moment longer before disappearing, the warmth of his wrist within her hand replaced by empty air.

She fell to her knees, her hand held out where it was, where it had held onto the wrist of a man who always left her broken, who always hurt her; who she'd always love.

"Sakura!" Ino called, slamming the door open hard, "I just recieved a message from Tsunade-Sama! We have to get back to the village now, they're under attack by an Akatsuki member!"

Without even thinking, Sakura stood up, rushing around the room to gather up her things.

Within a matter of minutes Sakura and Ino set off, saying as many goodbyes as they could as they rushed through the crowded village. Sakura had wished to do so many more things, see Haku and Zabuza's grave again--she also couldn't help but resent whoever took Zabuza's sword, and had planned to see if she could find them if they lived there--and spend more time with Tayuya and his family; but what she wanted most was to see Sasuke's expression waver again, see a glimpse of his old self just once more. She feared she never see that again.

"Sakura?" Ino called up at Sakura, who had managed to stride ahead of her in the trees as they rushed back to their crying village.

"Hmm?" Sakura turned her head, somehow managing to keep her composure on each branch without looking.

"I saw that girl again in the village this morning...she didn't do anything, just shopped around I think; but did anything happen while I was away? I can't help but worry..."

Sakura interrupted her, "nothing. I had just woken up when you came in." She smiled back at her friend, not wanting to worry her anymore.

Ino's gaze darkened, her hair falling back revealing both of her eyes, "Okay..." she mumbled, looking back at the path in front of her.

* * *

"Sasuke?" Karin called, leaning forward from her place against a tree. Suigetsu and Juugo both sat on the ground around her, seeming to not have noticed the girl's call.

Sasuke walked over to where his stuff sat, already packed up, and began unpacking everything.

"Hey, what are you doing, Sasuke-_kun_?" Suigetsu called, the sudden name suffix and the teasing tone he said it with made Sasuke nervous.

_'Does he...know...' _he demolished the thought, turning to glare at the man sitting in front of him. "Sasuke." he stated firmly, his gaze hardening.

Suigetsu laughed, trying to hide his slight fear. "Okay, hey, what are you doing _Sasuke_?" He asked again, looking back at Sasuke.

He sighed, "we'll leave tomorrow. I need to make sure of something." He stated, half to himself.

* * *

_**Despite all that's happening now...**_

_**The memory of everything you did for us shall never fade. **_

_**Seeing your face again, I can't help but wonder one thing. **_

_**With all your goals accomplished**_

_**And with everything you left behind still wishing for your return. **_

_**And despite what your accomplishments meant, you still continue to accomplish more. **_

_**The thing I can't help but wonder, Sasuke-Kun...**_

_**Is are you happy? **_

_**Happy being alone in your very heart, despite those who travel with you. **_

_**Those who try to make you a part of their lives. **_

_**Those you push away despite all that they do. **_

_**You've changed so much. **_

_**In a way, I'm glad we were the ones you decided to let in. **_

_**The exceptions into your broken life. **_

_**But in a way, I feel sorry for those who stand by your side. **_

_**Because you'll leave them eventually, won't you? **_

_**It's all you have left, and all you can do. **_

_**You've torn your broken life into shatters. **_

_**And I stood by, helpless to stop it. **_

_**Laughing to my heart's desire. **_

* * *

Sasuke walked through the streets of the too familiar village, his eyes locked on his destination. He gritted his teeth, overwhelmed by worry as he approached the window. Grasping his hand around the seal, he leaned his head forward, catching sight of an empty mat. Her bag was gone, along with her shoes and day clothing. The blanket lay strewn out across the floor; _'she must have left in a hurry, Sakura would never be so rude as to leave a guest room even the slightest bit messy..._' he thought to himself, feeling anger overwhelm him.

"Eh...?" a muttered voice came from the direction of the bedroom's door, "Sasuke?" Inari stood in the dim light that shown through the open door, rubbing his eye tiredly.

Sasuke's first instinct was to run, disappear, but he needed to know if Sakura had left the village.

"Hey, Sasuke! How ya' doing?" Inari wobbled quickly over to the window, "you know...we have a door..." he teased, looking at the window.

"Yeah...I just came with a message from the Hokage for Sakura..." Sasuke stared at the bed mat on the floor, _'he doesn't know about me leaving the village...' _his gaze darkened.

"Uh, you're kinda late! And what was she thinking, sending you out of the village at a time like this?" Inari criticized.

Sasuke almost asked what he meant before stopping himself, _'he thinks you still live in Konoha...' _he reminded, looking back at the now grown boy. "Yeah...I left earlier, but ran into some small trouble so I've been running a little late. So she already left? That's good..." He covered as best as he could, feeling more nervous than he had in a while.

Inari gave him an odd look that Sasuke couldn't decipher, "alright, well come on in! Tayuya would love to see you!" He didn't wait for an answer as he grabbed Sasuke's arm, almost making him fall onto the floor face first. Shifting his feet to the floor, Sasuke was pulled into the house with silent protests.

Sasuke sat on the floor of the main room where Inari had led him, waiting in silence as the boy went to wake Tayuya up. He knew he should run. He had to run. But he couldn't move, or didn't want to, really. The warm feeling, good memories of his old team, he'd been consumed by this feeling a lot lately.

"Her fault..." He muttered to himself stubbornly.

"What was that?" a husky voice sounded from behind him.

Sasuke turned to look up at Tayuya who stood a few feet away, grinning boldly. "How ya' doing Sasuke? It's been a while; honestly I'd expect Naruto to be here before you."

Sasuke stood up silently, shaking hands with the man. He felt like a kid caught in the middle of pulling a prank, hoping the teacher wouldn't take the few small steps to where he had vandalized a wall or simply left a pale of some form of substance on a door that stood ajar. If he said one thing to tip them off, or if one of Team Hebi came looking for him and let something slip, Tayuya and Inari would know of his cruel nature. The horrible things he had done, and the friends he had left behind.

"Heh, still just as talkative as usual, huh Sasuke?" Tayuya muttered sarcastically, as Inari stood quietly next to the two of them muffling a laugh.

"Well," Tayuya broke the silence again, "considering what's happening I guess you do need to get back to the village." He glanced down at Inari, then back to Sasuke. Things had changed; he had never been one for conversation, but Sasuke's presence never made Tayuya feel so awkward.

Sasuke nodded to both of them, "sorry..." he mumbled before clearing his throat. The word held more meaning than the two would realize.

Continuing to the door Sasuke stopped as Inari spoke up, "hey, let us know when you finally just admit your feelings and get with Sakura ya' pan--" Tayuya threw his hand over the boys mouth, shushing him.

"Hahaha, sorry Sasuke. He's gotten quite a mouth over the years. Even more than before." Tayuya excused Inari, as the boy shoved the man's hand away from his mouth.

"What do you mean?! You're the one who said it yesterday when we were all having dinner!" He complained.

Sasuke smiled, _'that must have made her uncomfortable...' _"It's fine, Tayuya. You're right; I should stop being such a pansy." Without another word, Sasuke walked out the door, ignoring the dumbfounded looks he received from his old friends.

The night sky cloaked over his form as he made his way through the shadows. He tried to avoid looking at the rubble; the sight made him uneasy.

Just as everything seemed to.

Destorying Konoha seemed to become a more and more far fetched goal of his; the thought of killing his old friends managed to bother him even more than it usually did.

"Keh..." He glared, a look he would give himself if he could, _'stop being such a 'pansy' already.' _

* * *

_**Everything you did for me**_

_**all the tears you shed. **_

_**The pain that washed over me as you pleaded for my stay; **_

_**I hate it all. **_

_**It makes me question my motives. **_

_**Makes me feel weak to not be able to look you in the eye...**_

_**...when I'm the cause of your tears. **_

_**My 'broken' life you go on about is none of your concern. **_

_**Asking if I'm happy;**_

_**with everything I've done.**_

_**Such a question is pointless, and really deserves no answer.**_

_**Worry about yourself for a change; I'm sick of how selfless you are. **_

_**The stars that kiss the glow of your eyes, making them shimmer.**_

_**The most beautiful green on this earth, as you hide it from the world in a smile. **_

_**Keep smiling, **_

_**keep looking forward. **_

_**Never look back at me again...**_

_**I hate seeing your smile fade, the tears the brim your cheeks. **_

_**But what I hate more is being the reason for your tears. **_

_**But really, complaining will do nothing. **_

_**If I hate it so much, I should answer your question. **_

_**Am I happy?**_

_**I was. **_

_**When we were all together. **_

_**But now? **_

_**With 'those who follow by my side'? **_

_**I push them away for the very reason you say. **_

_**Because in the end I will leave.**_

_**My wish would be to you. **_

_**But until then;**_

_**no. I'm not happy.  
**_

* * *

_**Everything you've said. **_

_**The answers you gave leaving questions alone. **_

_**I'll tell you this once, after seeing you again. **_

_**Next time we meet, I will not shutter. **_

_**I will not cry. **_

_**My 'performance as a ninja' will have improved...**_

_**improved to the point of being a threat even to you. **_

_**So please take that as a promise, **_

_**and know that no matter what; **_

_**the feelings I confessed to you the night you left; tearing us away, **_

_**no matter what I wish, will never go away.  
**_

* * *

_END.  
_


End file.
